Polygonal hat box for platforms and stays inserted therein



Oct. 16, 1956 D. BENNETT 2,755,875

POLYGONAL HAT BOX FOR PLATFORMS AND STAYS INSERTED THEREIN Filed Feb. 11 1953 5 SheetsSheet 1 INVENTOR DAVID BEN NETT BY H ATTORNEY Oct. 16, 1956 D. BENNETT 2,766,875 POLYGONAL. HAT BOX FOR PLATFORMS AND STAYS INSERTED THEREIN Filed Feb. 11 1953 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR v10 BENNETT 34 BY .g

ATTORNEY Oct. 16, 1956 D. BENNETT 2,766,875 POLYGONAL HAT BOX FOR PLATFORMS AND STAYS INSERTEID THEREIN Filed Feb. 11 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 JNVENTOR.

DAVID BENNETT BY ATTORNEY boxes of the general type above referred to.

United States Patent POLYGONAL HAT BDX FGR PLATFORMS AND STAYS IN SERTED THEREIN David Bennett, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor to Modern Millinery Box Corp., Brooklyn, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application February 11, 1953, Serial No. 336,231

Claims. (Cl. 206-9) This invention relates to a hat box made of cardboard and similar material, more particularly to a collapsible hat box which can be stored, shipped and delivered in knocked down condition and in which when set up one or more hats are supported and retained in position by means of platforms and stays.

There are already known collapsible polygonal hat However, collapsible hat boxes, as hitherto known, lack sufiicient strength and rigidity so that they are not suitable for storage and shipment of a plurality of hats particularly when such hats are comparatively heavy as mens hats usually are.

Accordingly, one of the objects of the present invention is to provide a collapsible polygonal, particularly hexagonal, hat box of the general type above referred to, in which novel and improved platforms coact with the side walls and bottom of the box so as to impart to the same such a rigidity and strength that a box containing several comparatively heavy hats can be safely shipped and stored and is able to withstand the frequent handling to which a box is subjected in a hat shop.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved hat box including platforms and stays which can be easily and rapidly set up without requiring reassembly operations and an appreciable amount of labor and skill. The box opens practically automatically.

Another disadvantage of conventional hat boxes whether collapsible or not, as used for the storage of a plurality of hats particularly rnens hats is that the brims of the hats which are generally nested in the box are separated by a ring which abuts against the top and bottom side of the hat brim. As a result, rub marks are left on both sides of the hat brim which must be brushed out before 'rub marks and the necessity of brushing the brims of a hat before it is shown to a customer and the wear and tear caused by repeated brushing.

Another more specific object of the invention is a novel and improved stay designed for coaction With a platform according to the invention and which can be shipped in flat condition and secured to the platform when the hat box is set up without requiring stapling.

Still another specific object of the invention is toprovide a novel and improved stay directly fastened to a platform and stiffening the hat supporting parts within the box.

Other and further objects, features and advantages of the invention will be pointed out hereinafter and set "ice 2 embodiments of the invention are shown by way of illustration and not by way of limitation.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is an elevational front view, partly in section, of a collapsible hat box including platforms and stays according to the invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the bottom part of the hat box.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the bottom platform to be inserted in the hat box.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the upper platforms inserted in the hat box.

Fig. 5 is a development of one of the stays to be inserted in the hat box.

Fig. 6 is a section taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a development of the hat box of Fig. 1.

Fig. 8 is a top view of the hat box of Fig. 1 after removal of the cover.

Fig. 9 is a development of a modification of the platform shown on Fig. 3.

Fig. 10 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing modifications of the platforms and stays inserted in the hat box, and

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary development of a platform with stay attached thereto, as used in the hat box of Fig. 10.

Referring now to the figures in detail, the exemplified embodiment of the invention as shown on the drawing comprises a hat box generally designated by It) and made of cardboard or any other material suitable for the purpose. The side walls 11 of the box define a polygon or more specifically a slightly irregular hexagon when the box is in its set-up position. The bottom of the box is designated by 12 and the cover or lid by 13. As can best be seen on Fig. 7 which shows a development of the blank for forming the side walls and the bottom of the box, the side wall portions and the bottom portion of the blank have a plurality of fold lines 14 and the bottom portion is joined to the side wall portions by fold lines 15. The bottom portion is also joined to the side Wall portions by flap portions 16. The box is completed by securing for instance by gluing, flaps 17 on one side wall portion to the corresponding edge of another side wall portion. The design of the hat box proper does not constitute part of the present invention so that it sufiices to state that the fold lines 14, 15 and the flaps 16 are so arranged that in the knocked-down or collapsed position of the box the side walls occupy a position in which three substantially aligned side walls are flattened upon the three other also substantially aligned side walls and that the bottom is inwardly folded between the two sets of three side walls each so that a substantially flat or two-dimensional body is formed. In the set-up position of the box, the six side walls define the aforementioned slightly irregular hexagon and the bottom is flattened with the flaps 16 of the bottom pressing against corresponding portions of the side walls. As will be apparent, the flattened bottom and the flaps thereof retain the side walls in their relative hexagonal position and also impart a certain rigidity to the box. However, experience shows that the rigidity imparted to the box by the bottom and the flaps thereof are not sufiicient to permit safe storage shipment and repeated handling of the box particularly when several comparatively heavy hats are placed in the box.

According to the invention the hat box is further stiffened by inserting in the same one or more platforms of novel design which serve the additional purpose of supporting a plurality of hats in positions spaced apart so as to avoid a rubbing contact between the hats, particularly the brims thereof.

The platforms areshown on Figs. 3 and 4. Fig. 9

,, shown, 'or non-collapsible.

' stantially rectangular sheet made of cardboard or a similar material suitable for thepurpose. The blank of Fig. 9 is formed with a center hole 19 having substantially the shape of the crown of a hat and two fold lines 26 and 21 running parallel to the short sides of the rectangle. The two fold lines 26 and 21 are extended at both ends by slits 22, 23 and 24, 25 respectively continued to the long 'sides'of the rectangle. The blank is further formed with two fold lines 26 and 27 running parallel to the long sides of the rectangle and extending between the short sides of the rectangle. Fold lines 25 and 27 are each interrupted by a slit 28 and 29 respectively defining cars 30 and 31 respectively. As will become best apparent from Fig. 3, the fold lines 20,21, 26 and 27 together with slits 28 and 29 circumscribe a top wall portion 32 which forms the hat receiving part of the platform. The fold lines 20 and 21 define two of the sides of a hexagon the four other sides of which aredefined by the sides of ears 30 and 31. The'fold lines 20 -and 21 further define side wall elements 33 and 34 and the blank portions circumscribed by the slits 22, 23, 24 and 25 together with fold line sections 26, 27' define flaps which underlie or overlie the side wall elements as defined by the inner portions of the fold lines 26 and 27. Bending of the blank of Fig. 9 along the fold lines and slits thereof results in a three dimensional platform as shown on Fig. 3. This figure shows the bending before it is entirely com.-

7 shows a developed blank of the platform of Fig. 3 with some additional features which will be described later ou pleted to illustrate more clearly the relative positions of placed in the box a stay generally designated by 40 is fitted in hole 19 of the platform. V v

Fig. 5' shows a development of the blank of stay designed for insertion in the platform. The blank is in form ofa strip '41 made of cardboard or any other similar material suitable for the purpose. One of the longitu dinal sides of the strip is provided with a series of short transverse slits 42 to form tongues 43. These tongues are crimped or slightly curled by any means suitable for the purpose, as can best be seen on Fig. 6, so that the tongues form a rounded rim or crown upon which the rim of a hat 44 may rest. Fig. 1 shows that the crown of hat 44 is held spaced apart from the bottom 12 of the.

box and also from the side walls thereof so that the only contact between the hat and the box is along the supporting rim of the stay.

For purpose of fitting the'stay in the hole 19, the 7 original flat strip is bent to form a substantially cylindrical body, the lower edge of which rests upon bottom 12 and the upper part of which protrudes from the platform 18. tion by means of a tongue 45 insertable in a slot 46 through strip 41.

t As will appear from the previous description the use of a single platform such as it shown on Fig. 3 will impart a considerably increased strength and rigidity "to the hat box, whether the same is of the collapsible type, as In case it is intended to place a single hat in the box, the use of one platform is suf- 'ficient. The box may of course be lower than is shown on Fig. 1 if it be designed for one hat only. it is also possible to place several hats in a hat box having the a height of the box of Fig. l and fitted with a single platforrrn. However several hatsplaced in a box fitted with The stay may be locked in its cylindrical posi- I a single platform will be in'contact with each other at their brims which is undesirable as previously explained. Accordingly, the invention contemplates to provide several platforms, one for each hat. 7 Fig. 4 shows one of the additional platforms in set-up condition. Accord-.

ing to Fig.4 the platform generally designated by 50 comprises a top wall 51 constituting the platform properand formed witha center'hole 19. Two opposite sides of the hexagon defined by top wall 51 are extendedin' sides of the hexagon, the remaining sides of the hexagon being defined by top wall 51. Each of the ,side wall elements 52 and 53 has two vertical fold lines 56 and 57 to form two flaps 58 and 5-9 which serve to hold the side As will wall elements at a right angleto top wall 51. be apparent from Fig. 1 each of the additional platforms inserted in the hat box rests with its lower edge upon;

the top wall of the next lower platform.

A stay 40 such as described in connection with 'Figs. 5 V

and 6 is fitted in the hole 19 of each platform.

As will be apparent from Fig. l, the stays for the two upper platforms, in contrast to the lowermost stay rest: ing on the bottom 12 of the box, are held in the respective holes 19 only by the frictional pressure between the stays and platforms. Accordingly, it is advantageous to provide releasable locking means for securing each stay to the respective platform. These locking means are shown as comprising a right angle slit 60 and a notch 61, The tongue 62 thus formed, is originally flush with the plane of the strip and it is bent outward-1y when or after a stay is inserted in a platform'so as to engage the edge of the respective top wall 51 defining a hole 19. As can best be seen on Fig. l, the tongues in their bent out positions hold a stay safely within the platform. 7

Fig. 1 further shows thatthe stacked platforms and stays are of unequal height, the lowermostplatform and stay being higher than the upper platforms. This is to provide sufficient space for the crown of the lowermost. hat, the upper hats requiring less space as they are nested in the next lower hat. Fig. 1 finally shows that the platforms and the stays are so spaced that the three hats placed in the box do not touch each other and are in contact with any part of the box or the therein only along the rims of the stays.

It Will of course be apparent that more orless than three hats may be fitted in a box by platforms and stays parts inserted according to the invention without rubbing against each other.

Reverting now to the blank of Fig. 9, this blank is .shown as having additional slits 6S and notches 66.

Each notch is formed with a straight side and a curved side. The notches and slits are so shaped and placed that each notch 66' will be engaged by the slitted portion of the respective side wall element of the blank when the side wall elements are bent into the positions of Fig. 3. As a result the adjacent side wall elements of the platform become interlocked thereby further strengthening the platform.

'As will appear from the previous specification and an examination of the drawings, all the components of the hat box can be placed in a substantially flattened position thereby facilitating storage and shipment of the hat box and the inserts therefor. It will further be apparent that the hat box and the inserts can be set up without requiring stapling. i V

The hat box according to Fig. 10 which again may be visualized as being of polygonal shape particularly as having the shape of a slightly. irregular hexagon is shown as comprising three platforms and correspondingly three stays. The lowermost platform rests upon the bottom of box 11 and is similar to the platform 18 of Fig. 3. The.

stay 40 associated with this platform corresponds to the shown in development in Fig. 11. In this figure, the full lines of the blank represent cut lines and the dashed double lines fold or score lines. Accordingly, a bending of the blank of Fig. 11 along the fold lines 60a, 61a, 62a, and 63 results in a top wall portion 64 having a generally hexagonal outline. Two sides of the hexagon are formed by edges 60 and 61 and four sides by edges 65 and 66 of two cars 67 each formed by bending of the blank along fold lines 62:: and 63. As will be noted, edges 65 and 66 are continued by'the short edges 65' and 66 also formed when the blank is bent along the fold lines 62a and 63. The blank is further folded along the fold lines 68 and 69 and along the fold lines 70 to form flaps 73'. As a result, four depending side walls 71, 72 and 73 (twice) are formed. The flaps 71 and 72' formed by bending of the blank along the fold lines 68 and 69 respectively serve to stiffen the platform. In some cases the platform is sufiiciently stiff without the flaps 71 and 72 in which case the flaps may be omitted.

Each of the two upper platforms has attached thereto a stay generally designated by 75. Each stay comprises a generally cylindrical portion 76. The bottom portion of portion 76 is flanged outwardly to form a plurality of flat tongues 77 which are secured to top wall 64 of the platform by any suitable means such as gluing as can best be seen in Fig. 11. The top portion of portion 76 is also flanged outwardly to form a plurality of rounded tongues 78 which serve as a support for the brim of a hat nested in the respective platform. As will be noted, the depending side walls 71, 72 are longer than the depending side walls 73. The relative length of the depending side walls and the height of a stay above the top wall of the platform to which it is attached are so selected that when the platforms are stacked as is shown in Fig. 10, the side walls 71 and 72 and their flaps 71 and 72 respectively rest upon the top wall portion of the next lower platform and the flaps 73' rest upon the support surface formed by tongues 78.

Fig. clearly shows the hereinbefore described relative positions of the platforms and their stays without hats. When it is now desired to place hats in the box the two upper platforms are removed and a hat is nested in the lowermost platform so that its brim rests upon the outwardly caurved tongue of stay 40 of platform 18. Then the next platform is inserted. The side walls 71 and 72 of this platform rest upon the top wall portion of the lowermost platform and flaps 73' of side walls 73 rests upon the inside of the brim of the hat nested in the lower platform. As a result, the lowermost hat is safely held between tongues 43 and flaps 73'. A second hat is now nested in the second platform and the third platform is inserted. This hat will be similarly held between fiaps 73 and tongue 78. A third hat can then be nested in the third platform.

As will be noted, the side walls 71, 72 and 73 and their flaps resting upon the top wall portion of the next lower platform and the tongues of the next lower stay respectively or upon the brim of an inserted hat, prevent an appreciable bending and yielding of the top wall portion of the platforms so that the hats are safely held without coming in contact with each other and that the entire box is thoroughly stiffened.

While the invention has been described in connection with a hexagonal box it will be apparent that the same principle can also be applied to another polygonal shape for instance to an octagonal box. Furthermore, instead of being designed for three hats the box can also be designed for a greater or smaller number of hats.

While the invention has been described in detail with respect to certain now preferred examples and embodiments of the invention it will be understood by those skilled in the art after understanding the invention, that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and

6 it is intended, therefore, to cover all suchchanges and modifications in the appended claims,

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A blank for a platform insertable in a hat box, said blank comprising a substantially rectangular sheet, said sheet having two fold linesrunning parallel to two opposite side edges of said sheet and defining two side elements of the platform, the said fold lines ending short of the two other edges of said sheet and being continued at each end by slits extending to the said other edges, and two fold lines running parallel to the two other opposite side edges of said sheet and defining two other side elements of the platform, each of the said last mentioned two fold lines extending from edge to edge but interrupted by a slit formed in the respective other side elements and shaped to define two sides of a polygon which has two other sides defined by the first mentioned two fold lines.

2. A device for use in a hat box of the class including a generally polygonal bottom wall and upstanding side walls extending about the periphery of said bottom wall, said device being fabricated of a single sheet of stiff foldable material and comprising a centrally open generally rectangular top wall having a pair of ears extending outwards from opposite ends, each of said ears being shaped to define two sides of a polygon which has two other sides defined by the sides of said top wall and substantially conforms with the interior of said hat box side walls for conforming reception therein of said top wall and ears in spaced relation above said bottom wall, a first pair of elements depending from opposite ends of said top wall for supporting engagement with said bottom wall, said first pair of elements each being connected to said top wall on opposite sides of an adjacent ear, and a second pair of elements depending from opposite ends of said top wall for supporting engagement with said bottom wall.

3. A device according to claim 2, in combination with a generally cylindrical stay arranged on said top wall encompassing the central opening in said top wall for receiving the crown of an inverted hat, and a plurality of outwardly turned tongues extending from the lower end of said stay and adhesively secured in facing engagement with the upper surface of said top wall to mount said stay in position on said top wall, the upper end of said cylindrical stay being bent to form a support for the brim of a hat having its crown received in said stay.

4. A device according to claim 2, in combination with a generally cylindrical hat stay arranged in upwardly opening relation within the central opening of said top wall for receiving the crown of an inverted hat, and a plurality of tongues spacedly circumposed about said stay and each connected to the latter for swinging movement about an axis disposed longitudinally of said stay into and out of an operative position extending outwards from said stay, each of said tongues being formed with a cut extending inwards from its free end for releasably receiving the adjacent edge portion of said top wall when said tongues are swung to their operative position, said tongues thus serving to detachably secure said stay in position with respect to said top wall, the upper end of said cylindrical stay being circumferentially outwardly bent to form a support for the brim of said inverted hat.

5. A device for use in a hat box having a bottom wall and side walls adapted to extend peripherally about and upwards from said bottom wall, said device comprising a platform top wall supported within said side walls in spaced relation above said bottom wall, said platform top wall having an external configuration sufiiciently conforming to the interior of said side walls to limit movement of said platform top wall in said side walls, said platform top wall being formed with a central hole for receiving therein the crown of an inverted hat, a generally cylindrical hat stay arranged in upwardly opening relation within said platform hole for receiving said hat crown,

afia a pliiility bf forigii spacedry eiwimpased b ut 's'v'vihgifig" fnbiefriefii abdilt an axis dipb's ed lqpgitiidi na lly of said stay into and out of an operative positiio n extending outwards frbm said sjtay, each of saidtong'ues 7 said platform top wall, the u'pfaei end Of 'said cylindrical 380,364 Surls A r, 3, 1888 Rickfis T Fb. 6, 

